Combined instep and arch support



Dec. 15 1925.

E9565|259 H. J. COLLIS COMBINED INSTEP AND ARCH SUPPORT Filedvsept. 29. 1923 Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNETEQ STATES:

rarest Price.

COMBINED INSTE]? AND ARCH SUPPORT.

Application filed September 29, 1923. Serial No. 665,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY JAMns CoLLIs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Instep and Arch Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to instep and arch supports such as are employed surgically and athletically as a support or brace worn upon the foot, and my invention has particular relation to an improved combined instep and arch support which will affordthe desired operative and effective conditions both under the arch of the foot and over or across the instep.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and improved device of the character just set forth, which will afford advantages in points of effectiveness and general efficiency, convenience, ease of application and removal, and positive retention in operative position.

To these ends, my invention comprises in its essential features a bottom arch-support body strip of leather or pliable material to extend under the instep and suitably reinforced at its bottom by pliable stays or cushion media, which bottom body member will extend at its reinforced portion under the sole of the foot at the instep and has pliable sides to extend upwardly at the sides of the instep above the bottom reinforced portion, and a top instep-support body strip of elastic or webbing or other suitable material having its ends connected to the upwardlyextending side portions of the bottom archsupport member, said top body strip being adapted to extend over the instep and serving the double office of an instep support and the retaining means by which the bottom arch-support member is held in operative position, substantially as hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved combined instep and arch support device in operative position, the foot being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device in operative position, the foot being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a transvers vertical cross-section on the line 8-3, Figs. 1 and 4.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line 44, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a modified construction, in operative position and with the foot indicated in dotted lines.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, 14 designates the bottom arch-support member, which is constituted by a body strip of leather or other suitable pliable material, having a bot tom portion, 15, adapted to extend longitudinally a suitable distance under the arch of the foot and having its sides, l6-l6, extended upwardly a short distance from said bottom portion and forming a support at the sides of the instep portion of the foot above the sole. 17 designates a top instepsupport member constituted by a top body strip or band having its ends, 1818, connected to the top edges of the upwardlyextending sides 16 of the bottom arch-support member, and adapted to extend above and over the instep portion of the foot. Said top body band thus serves the double ofiice of an instep support and the means by which the bottom arch-support member is effectively retained in operative position on and beneath the foot, and for this purpose it is preferably formed of elastic webbing, though it may be formed of other webbing or any other suitable pliable material.

The bottom portion of the arch-support member is reinforced, to provide the desired supporting media for the foot arch, and for this purpose I preferably employ a series of pliable stay-strips, 19, extending in parallel relation in the longitudinal plane of the bottom member 1%, though it will be understood that any other suitable cushion or reinforcing media may be employed.

In practical construction, for the purpose of suitable placement of the reinforcing media, the bottom arch-support member 14 preferably comprises outer and inner body strips, 20 and 21, respectively, between which the reinforcing media are carried and retained, and preferably the various parts of the device are secured together by stitching, as at 22, and the reinforcing media likewise retained, though any other suitable securing means may be employed.

The reinforcing media as shown in Figs. 1 to 4:, inclusive, have the stay-strips 19 respectively mounted in pockets, 23, formed between the outer and inner body strips of the arch-support member 14 by stitching, as at 22, and said pockets have an open terminal end, 2 1, whereby the strips may be inserted or removed or adjusted as desired. The reinforcing strips may, however, be permanently retained in position against removal by having the pockets entirely closed, as shown in Fig. 5, and any other suitable reinforcing media or cushion or pliable ele ments may be employed in lieu of said staystrips.

The front end of the bottom portion 15 of the arch-support member 14 is preferably extended forwardly, as at 25, in front of the upwardly-extending supporting sides 16, to project under the metatarsal portion of l the foot and form a support therefor, the

reinforcing media consisting of a cushion or lift or stay-strips being provided, as at 26, at the forward extension portion 25 to support orraise the metatarsal bones beyond the arch.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modified construction in which, supplementary to the .top instep-support member consisting of the top body band 17, there is provided a rear retaining member, 27, constituted by a strip or band, preferably of less width than the top retaining band 17 and formed of similar webbing or other suitable pliable material of elastic or other character, the ends, 28-2S, of said rear retaining strip 27 being connected to the rear edges of the upwardlyextending sides 16 of the bottom arch-support member lhpreferably at a point immediately beneath the connection of the ends of the top instep-support member 17 with the sides of the bottom archsupport member 1a. Said rear retaining member is of suitable length adapted to extend around the back of the foot above the heel and serves the double office of a support at the sides of the ankle and at the rear liga ments of the foot above the heel and as a supplementary retaining means whereby the bottom arch-support member and top instep-support member are both effectively retained in operative position on the foot. This modified construction is especially adapted for employment where the device is used upon small feet or where the condi tions render desirable an additional retaining means for preventing forward displacement of the arch and instep supporting members.

The operation and advantages of my in vention will be readily Lmderstood. The

improved combined instep and arch support affords effective means for firmly sustaining the foot at the complete arch and instep portions and thus relieving pain or other conditions due to abnormality. The improved combined device can be worn either under or over the stocking, by reason of the flexible or soft character of all its main members or parts, the only reinforced or cushion or lift conditions being at the bottom of the sole of the foot, and the device can be con veniently and readily slipped on or off the foot in the manner of a cuff, is of corset character in its supporting action, and will effectively be retained in adjusted and operative positionby the action of the top instep-support member in its relation to the bottom arch-support member.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the detail features of construction as herein shown and described, as it is manifest that variations and modifications therein may be resorted to, in the adaptation of my invention to varying conditions of use, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and improvements. I therefore reserve-the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A combined instep and arch support, comprising a bottom arch-support member consisting of a pliable body of leather or flexible material having a main bottom portion to extend under the sole of the foot and upwardly-extending opposite side portions to extend at opposite sides of the foot above the sole, said pliable main bottom portion being extended in front of said upwardly-extending opposite side portions to project under the metatarsal part of the foot, reinforcing media carried by the-bottom portion of said pliable body of the arch-support memher-and extending in said metatarsal front part thereof, andatop instep-support member constituted by a cross-strip or body band to extend across the instep and having its opposite ends attached to the top edges of said upwardly-extending side portions of the pliable body of the bottom-arch-support member.

2. A combined instep and arch support, comprising a bottom arch-support member consisting of a pliable body of leather or flexible material having a main bottom portion to extend under the sole of the foot and upwardly-extending opposite side portions to extend at opposite sides of the foot above the sole, reinforcing media carried by the bottom portionof said pliable body of the arch-support member, a supplementary rearsupport member constituted by a strip or band to extend around the rear portion of the foot above the heel and having its ends connected to the rear edges of the upwardlyextending opposite side portions of the pliable body of the bottom arch-support member, and a top instep-support member constituted by a cross-strip or body band to extend across the instep and having its opposite ends attached to the top edges of said upwardly-extending side portions of the pliable body of the bottom arch-support 10 member.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

HENRY JAMES COLLIS. 

